This document analyzes the trailers for three films: Big Fish, Titanic, and The Lovely Bones. It notes that the Big Fish trailer establishes the fantasy genre through magical elements and slow pacing. The Titanic trailer builds tension through its pacing and leaves viewers on a cliffhanger. Finally, the trailer for The Lovely Bones uses a somber tone and slow initial pacing before heightening the action, narrated by the dead main character.

1. TRAILERS

2. Big Fish Trailer
 Trailer
 Fantasy/ Adventure genre – positive,
upbeat music.
 Shots quite slow paced to establish
interesting scenes and settings.
 Clear narrative entirely from film
character’s viewpoint.
 Features highlights from the film but
still creates sense of enigma. Shows
protagonist as he grows up.
 Actors/actresses may attract
audience – Ewan McGregor, Albert
Finney etc.

3.  Director Tim Burton may
attract audience.
 Based on 1998 novel of the
same name – people might
already have heard the
story and wish to see the
film.
 Characters in the trailer
suggest fantasy genre –
witch, giant, mermaids etc.

4. Titanic Trailer
 Trailer
 Romance/disaster genre –
powerful music. Builds up to a
climax when it hits ice berg.
 Iconography – the ship is easily
recognisable.
 Shots begin slowly paced then
speed up when conflict arises.
Faster pace creates a sense of
panic and danger.

5.  Introduces the film with a voiceover
narrative then uses clips and dialogue as a
narrative.
 Creates enigma by leaving the trailer on a
cliffhanger.
 Effective because characters and their
relationships with each other are
established.
 Famous cast may attract the audience –
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet etc.

6. The Lovely Bones Trailer
 Trailer
 Thriller genre.
 Starts with slow music to
reflect sombre tone, then more
powerful music when the
action picks up.
 Slowly paced shots are used in
the first two sections of the
trailer, then a slightly quicker
pace of shots towards the end.
 Narrative voice belongs to the
main character, though she’s
dead.

7.  Trailer is split into sections
separated by titles.
 Ends on a cliffhanger creating
enigma and so the audience
wonder if the killer will be
brought to justice.
 Audience may wish to watch
this anyway because it’s based
on a bestselling novel.